Swimming with the Jellies, dude

While we were in Sevierville, we went to Ripley's Aquarium. It was pretty stinking cool. Here's the pics we took. Well, some of them, if I put them all here, it'll take me all day. You can go to my facebook page and look at them there (in a while, that is).

I got to pet these stingrays. They're soft and slimy, almost like those vinyl pools when you've kept the water in them for too long.

Mr. Leopard Shark was swimming with the stingrays, and the guy that was saying we could pet the stingrays was like, make sure you don't touch the shark. He can still hurt you. Like, duuh!

He looks tough, but I bet he's a real pushover

Swimming with the jellies, dude!

He looked really fuzzy, but you can't see it here. See what happens to you when you just lounge around all day long?

Do you see the tunnel in the background? It's really a tunnel, not just some clever illusion trick. It's called the shark tunnel, and there were a ton of sharks, almost like being with them. About halfway through, there was a bunch of scratches on the water side of the plexiglass with a sign. The sign said that there was a shark attack in 2000, but no one was hurt. I can't imagine what it was like...shudders... As we were coming out of the tunnel, a photographer was standing there and said that lots of people get their picture taken here. She took one with her camera (that we later bought, sucked in by tourism...), and volunteered to take one with our camera.

That lady must have been bored, cause she offered to take our picture here in front of this wall of fish. They're kinda creepy with their eyes all shiny...

Hi, I'm Dori.

strpied-spiny-fish

Last, but not least, an amemenome, anenenome, anemonone....whatever.

Wedding Day Bliss

For those of you who were at my wedding, thanks :) as you know, it went off well with basically no noticeable flaws. The few I know of, I'll just let you keep on thinking it was perfect. It really was, I wouldn't have changed anything. The reception part was a bit sketchy, but I wasn't in charge, and it didn't matter any more, I was married!! We've been staying in Sevierville (severe-ville) at a condo/resort. It's nice, like we have a bedroom, bathroom, washer, dryer, kitchen, dishwasher (automatic, not named Mark :D), living room/dining room combo. It's nice. There's an indoor pool, out door hot tub (we saw some people swimming in it, in 40 degree weather!!), a few tanning beds, free wi-fi in the main lodge, an 'activity room' (for activities, I'd guess). The staff here is very friendly, and cheerful (I guess it's their job :D), but it makes it even more special. I'll write more about what we did around town, later.
We're headed home tomorrow about 7 am, because we need to make a little stop in Richmond before 3.
TTYL

Thankful for too many beans...

It all started with too many beans....then it progressed into a little bit of chest pain, and dyspnea (not being able to breath easily). So Mark's mom took his Dad to the hospital. They did a few blood tests and stuff like that, and discovered his enzymes (the ones mainly for heart attack) were too high. Still his blood work wasn't too, too bad. But upon having more chest pain and dyspnea from going potty, they decided not to let him out of bed any more. This was Friday nightish...
They kept him over night for observation. Saturday, his enzymes were not normal, so they transfered him over to the heart hospital in Wausau. "They" told him that he would probably not make it to our wedding on Saturday. As you can imagine, Dad Mc didn't take the news very well. But "they" said it'd be better to miss one event, and live, than to die and miss the rest of his family's lives. "They" also decided that, in order to see what was really up with his heart, they would do a heart catheterization either Sunday or Monday. "They" couldn't fit him in Sunday, so they did it today.
Conclusion: (viewer discretion advised)
One major artery was 100% blocked, while the other two major ones were both 50% blocked. The only thing keeping him from having a major heart attack was one vessel that was completely clean. Praise God for a network of arteries. They put a stent in the vessel that was blocked, but "they" also decided that Dad Mc needed a triple CABG (coronary artery bypass graph). "They" are going to it in about 4 weeks.
Because of all that goings on, Dad Mc has to be on 'rest' until his surgery, which means no flying. Thankfully, I have an awesome almost brother-in-law-in-law, who is going to be staying with him. We're trying to figure out a way to broadcast the ceremony live up to Wisconsin, so he can at least see it as it happens (well, maybe a few seconds behind). I heard that they're planning (not "they,") their own little party up there. Hey, maybe Mark and I with ditch our party and join theirs... :)
But just imagine...what if Dad Mc had not had all those beans, had not had bad enough gas to cause his arteries to constrict to cause his angina (chest pain), to send him to the hospital, to diagnose these blockages. He might be in worse condition than he is now. So, I'm thankful to too many beans.

I had a real real job interview today in Hampton. The hospital is called Sentara Careplex, and it's huge. I interviewed with the floor clinical specialist and some manager, I don't remember exactly. But they really sounded like they wanted to hire me, and I liked what I heard. I was hoping for a little higher pay, but since I don't really have any acute care experience (working in a hospital as opposed to a summer camp) it's a little lower. But better than what I make working at a preschool. They do 12 hour shifts, from 6:45 am to 7:15pm (with a lunch break, of course!). I was just chatting with Mark and I totally lost my train of thought. See what he does to me?? But I'll keep him around anyways :D

OK, so back on track....uh...I'll start our with two weeks of 8 hour class room days, going over skills and and stuff. Then I'll move on to 12 hour days three days a week for General Hospital Orientation, stuff like skill training, such as monitoring the cardiac monitor rhythms, ED experience (for blood draws and IV starts), stuff like that. Then, after that, I'd start the 3 month orientation on the floor. It's a cardiac monitoring floor, stuff from atrial fibrilation, to post-heart cath patients. I'm supposed to 'review my options (what options??) and call them back in a few days. I remember another thing...I wouldn't start until January 7th, which is something I've been praying for. I don't want to have to start a new job right after i get back from our honeymoon, especially one that's going to be a dump-load of information into my brain. I'm sure I'll still be reeling from the honeymoon, and will miss about 90% of it all anyways. On the downside, I'll have been out of work for about a month. But Mark and I think, that if I don't...spend....any....money....(I just about die at that thought!) we can make it (I think we talked about it, didn't we, honey?). That'll give me time to make the sparse apartment homey for when Mark comes home from work :)

What else...what else...what else...(various movie lines are flashing through my mind, but I'll refrain from quoting a whole scene)...OH! Mark and I have receive two actual wedding presents so (in addition to some money, and a gift card, but I mean, when some one asks, let me see your wedding presents, you don't go pull out checks and cash and gift cards. But, most assuredly, they're in no wise less desireable!). One is a clock, a beautiful clock, from Mark's cousin Marilyn and her husband Karl. The other is a nice salt and pepper shaker set.
AND....I bought curtain rods for some curtains I got for my birthday a few weeks ago. So, aside from the bachelor-type decorating of the apartment, it's got potential :) I brought some of my clothes over there, so I don't have to worry about bringing it all at once. As I was packing up my clothes, my sister Bethany was lamenting over the fact that her closet is now almost empty and she doesn't have any clothes to borrow. Rebekah's are too small, and Sarah's are too small. I mean, Rebekah's are too big...Mom's are...well...there's little of Mom's that Bethany borrows. Not for any reason, except that they have different taste...and age group ideas, also.

I think I've written enough for several weeks of silence! This weekend is my bridal shower, and a bridal party that I'm hosting for my bridesmaids, flower girl, and ring boy. We're going to Build-A-Bear Workshop, and I'm going to make us matching shirts that give away our titles, and I'm going to wear my "BRIDE" hat, and I'm going to enjoy the comments of "oh you're getting married!!"

Which reminds me, I dropped my dress off at the taylors for altering and hemming and stuff like that. Well, my bridesmaids also had theirs there to get fitted and straps attached. There's three of them (right then with me was three of them) and only one dressing room. So while they took their time dressing and undressing, I stood to the side and watched them get fitted, with my veil on, to complete the look. I relished the comments of passer-byers, comments like "oh, look at the bride," "her dress is so pretty," "someones getting married!" As for the fitting, Bethany's dress is the only that didn't have to be taken in. But Sarah's, which I'm surprised up, was able to stay up (although barely, but that's a big improvement since we bought them!). We go back for another try-on on December 5th, my big brother's birthday. Speaking of such, I need to find him something. But, alas, 'tis bed time for my poor tired body, I've had a stressful day. Good night to all, and to all, a good night!

Ode to Vince Gill

I have very sad news to share. My betta fish of two years died this morning. :'( I got up this morning, and dad was watering plants, and mom was sitting on the couch. Mom said good morning to me and kinda grunted at dad. Dad turned around and said, what? good morning? no? uh, (mom mouthed something) what? my flies opened?? Mom motioned him over to her and whispered in his ear. Dad said oh! that....Vince was a nice fish. that's all he had to say, I knew the rest. I ran to the kitchen...there he was, on the bottom of the vase, eyes open, just lying there like a...dead fish... I cried for a bit, you know how emotional women can get. Dad said they had a nice garden they could burry him in. So long, Vince Gill. My roommate Robyn gave him his surname. I was just calling him Vince. She added Gill. It stands for two thing. One, our love of country music. Two, the fish from What About Bob? I've created an Ode to Vince Gill.

Farewell, dead fish, you were always fun to have around.

Farewell, dead fish, I'm sad to see you on the ground.

Farewell, dead fish, you are headed to be buried under a mound.

Farewell, dead fish, what a dear friend in you I have found.

overwhelmed...overworked...overaged....underpaid...

Mark's coming over tomorrow!!

I finally realized that this wedding planning is not all it's cracked up to be. There's gazillions of questions I've been asked that I can't answer. Questions like, what time is the rehearsal? Who's decorating? I even have trouble answering how many in the wedding party...My brain is turning to mush! I don't delegate very well.

But Mark is coming up tomorrow, so it's ok, right? He's taking me out for my birthday. Just the two of us, then we're going to go see a movie. It's been forever since I've seen one of those in a theater. Watching them at home with your family crowded on one couch, just isn't the same thing.

the future Mrs. McMillen

11 more days until my birthday :) I like movies and books, and chocolate, and books, and food, and books....

38 more days until my wedding. I'm working on getting the table center pieces stuff together. There's a box or several up at my church that I'm gonna go pilfer. Yeah, I asked to use them. I've actually asked several people...it's all legal and good.

I finished painting Sarah's room today. I started it....a loong time ago. But I had a reasonable excuse for not finishing. There was this huge dresser hiding the entire last wall. I tried moving it by myself, but I just didn't have big enough muscles :( On a better note, my Marine brother was home this weekend, so he and my super strong dad scooted the dresser out of the way so i could get behind it. I whipped out my handy-dandy paint brush and finished the wall. I took a ton of pictures too. I'm working on getting them up loaded. If I can't get them here, I'll put them on my facebook site.